Box Score
MONTICELLO, Ark. – Freshman left-hander
Timothy Buchanan earned his seventh win of the season on Wednesday afternoon as he tossed a complete-game in a 5-2 win against the University of Arkansas-Monticello in non-conference action at Weevils Field.
Buchanan (7-1), who allowed just one hit over the first two innings of play, was given a 3-0 lead in the top of the third inning when the Muleriders (31-12) scored all three runs without the benefit of a hit.
In that inning,
David Harris drove in
William Townsend for the first run on a groundout to the third baseman. A batter later,
Brady Capshaw was able to reach on a fielding error by the third baseman which allowed
Jason Dahl to score. Following a double by
Ryan Dardenne and a bunt single by
Tyler Cameron,
Jackson McCurdy drew a bases-loaded walk to score the third run of the inning.
The Boll Weevils (28-16) would respond in the bottom of the inning, however, as they scored a pair of runs to cut the Mulerider lead down to a run, 3-2.
After all the scoring occurred in the third inning, neither team would cross the plate over the middle innings. In that time, Buchanan worked himself in and out of trouble as he was able to get a couple of successful pickoffs and a caught stealing to avoid surrendering a run.
In the top of the seventh inning, the Mulerider offense would provide Buchanan a bit of breathing room as they tacked on a pair runs to extend their lead out to three runs, 5-2. In that inning, Capshaw and Cameron picked up RBIs.
Unlike earlier in the game, Buchanan went out in the next half inning and threw a zero in the run column to maintain the three-run lead. Over the next two innings, Buchanan would work around a leadoff double and a hit-by-pitch in the eighth, and a one-out single in the ninth to secure his second complete-game victory of the season.
The Muleriders will now return to Great American Conference play as they will travel to Bethany, Okla. to take on Southern Nazarene in a three-game series starting on Friday, April 19 at 2:00 p.m.
